Review: The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

Urban Fantasy is a funny thing.  By its very name, it should have a contemporary city setting but there are a lot of books termed urban fantasy that have nothing to do with cities at all.  Take The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams. The heroine spent much of the book being held captive in various isolated locations.  I never had the sense that she was even near a city, let alone in one.  There's also a certain tone urban fantasies have that was missing from this story.  This book felt more like a classic fantasy that was occurring in present day.  This is not a criticism of the book, by the way.  Merely an observation but if anything, I would categorize The Shadow Reader as Contemporary Fantasy.


The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams
(McKenzie Lewis, #1)
GENRE: Contemporary Fantasy
ISBN: 1937007014 
ISBN13: 9781937007010
Published October 25th 2011 by Ace
GRADE: C
Blurb: There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

There were several aspects about this book I liked.  I enjoyed the politics – the rebels against the realm storyline, while not new, was suitably entertaining, there was some nice action sequences and the two male leads were recognizable but enjoyable beefcake-y types.  Kyol is all honor-bound and restrained while Aren is volatile, bad boy danger.  Clichéd, yes… but still effective.  And shadow reading is a new and inventive ability that captured my imagination.  I only wish the heroine got to use her ability more often instead of spending most of her time as a damsel-in-distress.

BEA 2012 Recap-ish

So, BEA. 

I keep attempting to write a recap of my time spent roaming the Javitts but I find I don’t have very much to say.  It was just like last year – crowded, stuffy, exhausting and fun.  I wasn’t able to spend the full amount of time there.  I had to leave at 11:30am on Wednesday to get to my matinee but despite that (and despite not being very organized), I still managed to get a lot out of the event.  I was able to touch base with the one publicist I have had some dealings with and I got to do a little networking with some other bloggers.   I also discovered that there are a lot of unannounced giveaways that happen first thing in the morning, which is how I snagged an ARC of The Iron Wyrm Affair (Bannon & Clare, #1), by Lilith Saintcrow -  on my must-read-this-summer list.  I have high hopes for this one.  

My goal at BEA was to not be a greedy pete.  I wanted to only take books that I would definitely read and that fit the scope of my blog.  It's hard not to get sucked into the whole book feeding frenzy.  Really hard.  There are piles of books just sitting there!  And they want to come home with me.  


Anyway, I wanted to highlight some of the books I received.  These are promising books to keep an eye out for and the books I am looking forward to reading.  Some of them have already been released, while others will be dropping later this year.  
I guess you could call it the k reads Buzz List.    


Redshirts by John Scalzi
Blurb: Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship "Intrepid," flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn't be better...until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship's captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expendedon avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship "Intrepid "really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives
Published 6/5/12


The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland, #2) by Catherynne M. Valente
Blurb: September returns to Fairyland to reunite with A-Through-L, Saturday, and Gleam, and to confront her shadow-self, who has become the queen of Fairyland-Below, the upside-down world beneath the Fairyland of the first novel, filled with creatures of water and shadow, tales of ancient Fairyland before the human world was born, and not a few hungry buffins, blind birds of ice and moonlight. The yearly revels of Fairyland-Below climax in a mysterious rite September must avert or else lose her shadow forever.
Drops 10/7/12


Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica by D.L. King
Blurb: The Victorians wrote some of the best and most enduring erotica. For such a tightly-laced age, people spent a lot of time thinking about things carnal. Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, et al enthralled us with their visions of new possibilities. The rich and slightly decadent visuals of the steam age lend themselves perfectly to the new carnality of post-punk era. And, of course, what is repressed will be even more exciting once the corset is unlaced. Steampunk, even without sex, is erotic; with sex, it’s over-the-top hot. A widowed lady engineer invents a small device that can store the energy from sexual frustration and convert it to electricity to help power a home. Teresa Noelle Roberts shows us what it can do, confronted with sexual fulfillment. What volume of steampunk would be complete without a tale of sailing ships and the men who sail them? If your taste runs to sexy pirates in space, Poe Von Page will delight you with the mutinous crew of the Danika Blue and their new captain.
Then there’s the very special room on the top floor in the House of the Sable Locks, a brothel where sexually discriminating men go to have their fantasies fulfilled. Even if a man daren’t put those fantasies into words, Elizabeth Schechter’s “Succubus” will give the madam all the information she needs with which to make her clients happy. There are brothels, flying machines, steam-powered conveyances, manor houses, spiritualist societies. The following stories afford intelligently written, beautifully crafted glimpses into other worlds, where the Carnal Machines won’t fail to seduce you, get you wet or make you hard so, lie back, relax; a happy ending is guaranteed.
Published 4/12/11

My Day at the Book Blog UNCON & the BEA Blogger Conference

Hey!  Guess what I did last Monday?
I went to the Book Blog UNCON and the BEA Blogger Conference!


I had registered for BBC back in early February.  The registration process blew (You can read my bitchfest here.), and when the schedule was released, I was underwhelmed;  it seemed more of a publishing industry event than something geared towards the actual process of blogging.  So when Jeff over at The Reading Ape proposed an "unconference" for book bloggers, I was intrigued.  I have been blogging for over a year but I feel like I’m still figuring it out.  The UNCON sounded like more my speed.  But, I wasn’t ready to walk away from BBC completely.  I went last year and found it informative.  There was always a chance I’d get something out of it this year.  Since the BBC morning events were a big snoozefest, I decided to hedge my bets and split the day between the two.

On Monday I got up at an ungodly hour and headed over to The Center for Fiction, the site of the UNCON.  I was a little nervous because unlike BBC, the UNCON is participant driven with a loose form structure.  Topics would be determined by the participants at the top of the day so I wasn't sure what to expect.  (Plus, I am NOT a morning person.  Coherent conversation before the crack of noon?  I wasn’t sure I could manage that.)  I needn’t have worried.  It ended up being a stimulating morning. 

Review: Harvest of Dreams by Merrie Destefano

Ok.  First things first.  The cover of this book is just terrible.  Terrible.  It does not accurately reflect the type of story inside at all.  Look at it.  Look!  Wouldn't you expect this to be about one of those kickass urban fantasy heroines, who beats the crap out of the baddies and sexes it up with the dude on the cover?  Does the woman on this cover look like she is a divorced mom with a 9 year-old son, who's life is falling apart?  This is a typical urban fantasy cover but this is not an urban fantasy.  Instead it's a lyrical, darkly magical tale that feels almost like a fairytale.   

Feast by Merrie Destefano
(Harvest of Dreams, #1) 
ISBN 0061990825 
ISBN13: 9780061990823
Published June 28th 2011 by Harper Voyager
GRADE: B
Blurb: Madeline MacFadden ("Mad Mac" to fans of her bestselling magical stories) spent blissful childhood summers in Ticonderoga Falls. And this is where she wants to be now that her adult life is falling apart. The dense surrounding forest holds many memories, some joyous, some tantalizingly only half-remembered. And she's always believed there was something living in these wooded hills.
But Maddie doesn't remember the dark parts -- and knows nothing of the mountain legend that holds the area's terrified residents captive. She has no recollection of Ash, the strange and magnificent creature who once saved her life as a child, even though it is the destiny of his kind to prey upon humanity. And soon it will be the Harvest. . . the time to feast.
Once again Maddie's dreams -- and her soul -- are in grave danger. But magic runs deep during Harvest. Even a spinner of enchanted tales has wondrous powers of her own.

Hey! Look Who's Back!

So, my two week hiatus turned into a month.  I was feeling overwhelmed by... everything, actually.  I realized that I was either working or working on the blog and barely finding time to read.  I need to read.  It calms my brain, it reduces my stress, plus, there's the entertainment factor.  I couldn't do anything about the job so it was the blog that got reduced.

It was really a terrible time for me to take a break, what with BEA just around the corner, but, boy, was it necessary.  And I got to read... a lot.  Not as much as I used to - working 6 days a week really puts a crimp in my reading time - but, still, more than I had been.  Here's what I discovered:

Sometimes, I stick with a series out of habit.  I keep reading because I read all the previous books, not because I can't wait to find out what happens next.  So, I took stock of my teetering TBR pile.  I ended up culling several series from my reading list.  Not because they were bad but because they were only fine... and because I won't miss them.

I'm over the zombie apocalypse.  If a book has zombies in it, I'm gonna take a pass.  No matter how great the buzz is.  I have read some terrific zombie books in the past year ( and I cannot wait to read Blackout by Mira Grant), but its not my favorite genre and a little goes a long, long way.  

Dystopian stories are depressing.  Although I've read some that I just absolutely loved, cumulatively, they pushed me into a real reading funk.  And that's unacceptable.  (Thank god for Shelly Laurenston.  Her books were a welcome antidote.)  So I'm gonna be choosier when it comes to the genre.

Just because a YA book gets great reviews and has the fangirls squeeing, doesn't mean I need to read it.  I'm not a fan of the YA genre.  Nothing against it, its just not what I am interested in reading.  I have a small stack of YA books that have been sitting on the shelf for almost a year.  Each is supposed to be great, each is one of the hottest books in the genre and I can't bring myself to pick any of them up because I just don't care.  So, I am going to pass them on, unread and not acquire any new ones.  (Except for the Penryn & the End of Days series which is awesome.)    

So, that's where I'm at.  Trying to maximize my reading pleasure in a minimal amount of time.  We'll see how it goes.

Review: Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane

Sometimes you read a book that is so emotionally enthralling that, once finished,  you need a cooling off period, a chance for the tumultuous, rapturous feeling it gave you to settle down.  You can't pick up another book for a little while.  You were swept in so deeply that you need a little time to resurface.  That's how I felt about Sacrificial Magic.  It's so good that it almost hurts.  I would fuck this series, that's how much I love it.

Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane
(Downside Ghosts, #4) 
ISBN: 0007349068 
ISBN13: 9780007349067
Published March 27th 2012 by Del Rey 
GRADE: A+
Blurb: When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.
Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks. 
As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Hiatus

I'm taking a little hiatus from the blog.
Nothings wrong, I just need to focus on some real life stuff.
I should be back in a week or so.
See ya soon.

Book Pimpin: More Upcoming Books!

Death's Rival (Jane Yellowrock, #5) by Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead…

For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to …a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane.

But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey. Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo’s territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to go to extremes…and maybe even to war.

Drops October 2, 2012

Ashes of Honor (October Daye, #6) by Seanan McGuire

Toby’s not ready to get back to work, but now she must search
for a powerful changeling with the potential to destroy all of Faerie. She quickly finds herself drawn into a web of kidnappings, political intrigues, and attempted assassinations. Toby must travel farther than ever before—and what she’ll find might not be what she expected.
Drops September 4, 2012

Review: Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Kresley Cole writes fun, readable books set in the world of the Lore that are always amusing if not laugh out funny.  Her characters are primarily of the fantastical type - there are Valkeries, Shifters, Demons, Sorcerers, and, of course, Vampires - and Cole has nicely crafted a detailed mythology for each race.   The series is set during the Assession, a period that occurs every 500 years when the different factions of the Lore battle it out for supremacy. 
And that time is now.  
So there is lots of action in this series, lots of adventure, and a sweet amount of sexy shenanigans.  It's a really enjoyable series and I look forward to each new installment.  When Lothaire showed up in my mailbox, I started reading it right away...

Lothaire by Kresley Cole
Immortals After Dark, #12
ISBN 1439136823
ISBN13: 9781439136829
Published January 10th 2012 by Gallery Books 
GRADE: C
Blurb: ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD
Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience. 
A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER
Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart. 
CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED
Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

I'm Going To BEA 2012 and The Book Bloggers Conference! Wait, No I'm Not. I Didn't Get Approved!...Wait a sec, maybe I am? Oh, I Don't Fucking Know...

UPDATE:  Well, looks like everything has worked out.  After some back and forth, my registration and press pass has been approved and I am all set for BEA and the Book Bloggers Conference.  I still haven't decided yet what I'll do in regards to the Book Blog UNCON.  I would like to attend both events but  I'm going to wait until they get a little closer before I decide. Right now, I am still leaning towards splitting the day between the two.  But I am happy that I have the choice...    

***

So, back in early February the Book Bloggers Convention was bought by Reed Exhibitions, the organizers of BEA.  Around that time, I came up for air from rehearsal hell and decided I'd better get registered so I could take advantage of the early bird pricing.  (Which was $15 more than last years regular price, go figure.)


Registering was an ordeal, convoluted and difficult to understand.  Despite a posting on The Bean (the official blog of BEA), stating that bloggers could register for $135 (see this post: Book Bloggers Convention at BEA and this one:Clearing up the BEA Bloggers Conference Issues (I hope)), the only way to register and get that price was to do so as editorial media.  Which meant I would have to register as a member of the press.  The other option would be to register as non-editorial media but then the price went up to $231.  A steep hike from last year as well as different from what Steve Rosato had previously stated:

Bloggers pay a flat early bird rate of $135.00 that includes their pass for BEA - end of story for our blogging friends (stop reading now if you are blogger).    

I don't consider myself press but bloggers are supposed to pay a flat rate of $135 and I could not figure out how to register and get that price.  Utterly confused, I decided to give a call to customer service.  I called twice and spoke with two different people.  Not only were both unaware of the $135 rate for bloggers but when I mentioned that it had been posted on The Bean, both customer reps asked, "What's that?"  
This did not inspire confidence.


So, on February 7, I registered as editorial media and then kept my fingers crossed that I would get approved.  It had been stated that if not approved for the press pass, I would be notified within two weeks.  Considering how unorganized I had found the process to be, I figured it might take 3 to 4 weeks to know for sure.  When I got my credit card bill and saw the BEA charge, I was giddy.  I was approved!  They wouldn't charge me if I hadn't been approved, right?  I paid the bill and began making plans to attend not only the blogger conference  but also some BEA publisher industry events that I began getting invited to.


Flash forward two months.  On April 5th, almost two months to the day I registered, I received an email from Roger Bilheimer, the BEA Public Relations Director, letting me know that I do not meet the standards required to qualify for a press pass.  Nothing was said at all about my registration for the bloggers conference, only that I did not qualify for a BEA press pass.  So, what did this mean?  Was I still able to attend the blogger conference?  Would I have to re-register?  Was I going to have to fork over more money to attend?  What happened to the two week notification?  What the hell was going on?


So.  I called again and spoke with yet another customer rep.  Who told me that yes, I would have to pay an additional $96 if I still wanted to attend the conference since I did not qualify for the press pass.   There is no way I was about to do that.  $231 for a conference that last year only cost $120?  Are you kidding me?!  I've seen the proposed schedule for this years conference (you can see it here).  There is no way I am going to pay that much money for something that so far is so very underwhelming.  There is no way I am going to pay that much money to an organization that I have serious doubts about considering what a clusterfuck this whole process has been.    According to the customer service rep, I could either pay the additional fee or they would de-register me and refund my money.  So I told him to cancel my registration; I would not be attending this year.

Link Love

I've been a bit distracted this week.  A couple of days ago I received an email from BEA letting me know that I had not been approved for the event as editorial media.  Even though I registered and paid in full two months ago.  
I'm pretty ticked off about that part.  That I already paid for it.  Charging a customer for a service before it has been determined that said service will in fact be provided is poor business and even unethical, as far as I am concerned.  And to wait two months - Grrr!  
I'll blog more about this at length a little later but for now, here's your links for the week.

• About Female Characers (or as I like to call them, Characters)

• Tolkien's Bastards: Why Certain Fantasy Tropes Stick

• Is Game of Thrones Too White

• The E-Racing of The Hunger Games: Race & Cultures in Fiction

• The Invisible Dystopia

• Dystopian YA Stories

• How To Be A Fan Of Problematic Things

• Celebrate Diana Wynne Jones!

Whell, Whell, Whell...

So, the big news this week.  J.R. Ward announced on Facebook that the next book in her BDB series will be about... (drumroll)... BLAY and QHUINN!  The book is scheduled to come out in March 2013.  I'm glad to hear they will get a full-length novel instead of a novella as first reported a while back.
Anything else I know about the book, I learned over at Blogging by Liza so head on over there if you want more teasers and spoilers.